


she'll never be the same again

by Sumi



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 04:10:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5360864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The day Jessica came home from the hospital she took a shower. She came out, wrapped a towel around her body, and then paused at the mirror. For nearly a minute Jessica froze, staring wide eyed at her reflection.</p>
            </blockquote>





	she'll never be the same again

**Author's Note:**

> A super short character study and fic that just explores what happens with Jess after the events of the game.

The day Jessica came home from the hospital she took a shower. She came out, wrapped a towel around her body, and then paused at the mirror. For nearly a minute Jessica froze, staring wide eyed at her reflection. 

It became blurred by the tears welling up in her eyes and Jessica was grateful for them. That way Jessica didn’t have to look at herself to recall the events that led to every single scar and the fact that any dream of modeling was over.

After that Jessica covered up the mirrors in her bathroom. In the rest of the house (when her parents were out) Jessica would drape a cloth over the mirrors, avoiding looking in them to the best of her ability.

Her parents indulged her behavior to a certain extent. The first time Jessica realized how exasperated her parents were with her was during a moment with her mother right after one of her many therapy appointments. 

They were sitting on the bed and Jessica’s mother sat beside her, babbling on about her day and other things Jessica only half listened too. Her hand tucked some of Jessica’s hair behind her ear before she had an odd request.

“Jess, remember when I used to do your hair for you when your were little?”

“Mm,” was all Jessica could manage. Most of her sentences were short and to the point since the incident. She did at least manage to give her mother a quizzical expression.

“I just miss my little girl.”

Jessica said nothing as her mother grabbed a brush and started brushing her hair. It was a soothing action that calmed her. She even closed her eyes , leaning into her mother’s touch until Jessica felt her mother start to braid her hair. 

Gasping, Jessica jerked away, furiously undoing the brain and ripping out a few strands in the process. The pain barely registered in Jessica’s brain. All she could focus on was getting her hair out of that stupid braid.

“Jessica, what’s wrong?” her mother cried, reaching for Jessica in an attempt to calm her down but Jessica violently slapped her hands away.

Fuck no. Jessica wasn’t getting dragged down to those mines again. She--

“Jessica!”

She blinked. “Mom…?”

“You had another episode.”

Jessica took another step away when she saw her mom moved to touch her again. She quickly looked away but heard her mother sigh and then shuffle towards the door before leaving without another word.

From that moment onward, Jessica could tell her parents (especially her mom) walked around on eggshells even more. It drove Jessica to actually leave the house for something other than therapy. She went straight to Emily’s, the two having reconciled that night.

If not for Emily finding her in the mines, Jessica wouldn’t have made it out alive.

A quick text to tell Emily she was coming up the driveway was all it took for Emily to come to the door.

It was so good to have her girl Emily back-- even in these circumstances.


End file.
